Article release mechanism



May 24, 1960 A. MULLER 2,937,785

ARTICLE RELEASE MECHANISM Filed July ll. 1956 IIL /nvenor ALo/s MULLER byg QJAQAJI ARTICLE RELEASE MECHANISM AloisMuller, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Opal Manufacturing Company, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed July 11, 1956, Ser. No. 597,117

2 Claims. (Cl. 221-67) This invention relates to article release mechanism particularly for use in vending machines and the like.

Prior postage stamp vending machines dispense a l folded card `of rectangular form enclosing the purchased stamps. On occasion, more than one card of stamps may be obtained for one purchasing sum due to imperfect release of the vended article from the article storage magazine. 4

It s proposed, according to the invention herein, to stack rectangular cards of equivalent articles in alternate arrangement whereby adjacent cards are dissimilar dimensionally with respect to a feeding mechanism to conne the release of said cards to one only during a single release cycle.

It is another object of the invention to provide release mechanism for alternately arranged or crossstacked rectangular articles in a magazine adapted to release no more than one article during each release cycle. 'With these and other objects in view, the invention generally comprises a first pair of oppositely disposed lateral support plates movable toward and away from one another; a second pair of like support plates-dis- '2,937,785v Patented May 24, 1960 ICC width dimension of an adjacent right angularly disposed or cross-stacked similar rectangular card 16. It will be apparent that all of the articles above the article 11 willA be supported by the support areas of the card 11 in engagement with the support plates 12 and 13 as shown4 in the operative position shown in Figure 1. A secondV pair of support plates 17 and 18 are disposed in an outward position for clearance with the length dimension of the card 16 and cards thereof likewise disposed. l

Support plates 12, 13, 17 and 18'are slidably supported in guide ways 19 fastened to the base plate 20` Vand are operatively related by means of the linkage 21 comprising a plurality of right angular arms or levers 22 pivoted at the corners by the pivot screws 23 and extending for engagement by way of guide slots 24 on the free ends 25 thereof with an actuating pin 26 extending downwardly from each support plate. Accordingly, actuation of one of the support plates inwardly will effect a corresponding inward motion of the opposite support plate and corresponding outward motion of the other pair of support plates disposed substantially at right angles thereto. Therefore, assuming actuation of one of the support plates effecting outward motion of the r'st pair of support plates 12 and 13, it will be apparentV that clearance with the length dimension of the card 11.

posed substantially at right angles to said first part; link- I plates permitting release of a cross-stacked card therethrough at one position of said plates and support of the remaining cards of said stack by the innermost pair of said plates at said position and the alternately arranged card thereon, the latter being released at another limiting position of said plates at which the remaining cards are supported by the following alternately positioned card on the then other innermost pair of said plates.

Other objects of the invention will be appreciated by a study of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Y

Figure 1 is an underside view of cross-stacked article release mechanism of the invention in one release position;

Figure 2 is another underside View of the mechanism of Figure l showing another release position thereof; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of cross-stacked rectangular articles according to the invention.

In the drawings, a plurality of cross-stacked rectangular articles 10 are shown in Figure 3 as they would be stacked in an article storage magazine of a vending machine according to the invention and wherein the lowermost rectangular card 11 would lie across a first pair of oppositely disposed lateral support plates 12 and 13 shown in their innermost position in Figure 1, the latter being an underside view of article release mechanism 14 of the invention. It will be observed that the articles 10 and the rectangular card 11 have a dimension of greater length-than width containing supportable areas 1S defined by the portion thereof projecting beyond the Simultaneously during outward motion of the rst pair of support plates, the second pair 17 and 18 move inwardly to a position supporting the supportable area of the card 16, it therefore being apparent that by the support plates and linkage mechanism release device as set forth, no more than one card can possibly be released during any one release cycle.

In Figure 2, the same components are illustrated in'a position immediately after the discharge of the card 11. The manner of actuating one of the support plates, ,for example, the support plate 13 in the mechanical arrangement shown, is illustrated by way of the actuating mechanism 27 operative from the actuating bar 28 slidable in the direction of the arrow Y over the upper surfaces of the base plate 20. In operation, the actuating bar y28A is moved in the direction of the arrow Y to a limiting position determined by a stop 29 and then allowed to return to a normal or retracted position shown in Figures 1 and 2 under action of a retracting spring (not shown). During the returning action, the rotor member 30 comprising the alternately arranged extending cam arms 31 and retracting cam arms 32 is caused to rotate in clockwise manner by engagement of the lower toothed wheel 33 thereof with the pawl 34 of the pawl arm 35 pivotally mounted by screw 36 to the base plate 20 and normally biased inwardly under action of springv 37. Accordingly, upon the return motion of the actuating bar 28, pawl 34 coming into engagement with a tooth 33, causes clockwise rotation of the rotor 30 during the retracting motion disposing one of the cam arms in a position for engagement with the cam bar 38 rigidly fastened to and extending downwardly from the support plate 13.

A ratchet arm 39 pivotally mounted as at 40 to the actuaton bar 28, is effective under action of its biasing spring 41 to prevent counter-clockwise rotation of the rotor while the cam arms are in engagement with the cam bar 38.

The inclined cam surfaces 42 of cam arms 31 will move the cam bar inwardly upon engagement therewith and effect inward motion of the first pair of support plates 12 and 13 and simultaneous outward motion of the support plates 17 and 18, the limit of outward'motion of the second pair of support plates being determined by the stop pins 43 extending downwardly from the base plate 20 as indicated in Figure 1. Cam arms 32 are formed to clear the upper surfaces of cam bar 38 to permit engagement of the downwardly extending cam anges 44 of arms 32 with the cam bar 38. As indicated in Figure 2t, the outward limit of motion of the rst pair of support plates 12 and 13, when moved outwardly by the retracting cam flanges 44 of the retracting cam arms 32 in engagement with the cam bar 38, is determined by a stop pin 45.

It should be appreciated that the rotor member 3i) is rigidly connected to the ratchet 33 but freely rotatably mounted on the shaft 46 extending downwardly from the actuating bar 28 and that the rotor is maintained in a position of actuation during retracting motion by the pawl 39 in engagement with a ratchet tooth 33.

While this disclosure, for clarity, has set forth the application of the invention to a plurality of cross-stacked articles of identical nature, each of which is rectangular and flat, it will also be understood that the invention may be applied to the support of articles having opposed projections disposed in cross-stacked relationship.

For example, a square, flat article embodies projecting corners and such articles may be arranged in cross"- stacked relationship wherein the projecting corner portions obviously provide projecting supportable areas. Since the apparatus of the invention releases the article downwardly, it will be apparent that the articles may be of varied thickness. Accordingly, the thickness limitation of prior article release mechanisms is obviated by the present construction.

While there has been described what is at present considered a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the arm that various changes and modiiications can be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention and it is intended to cover herein all such changes and moditications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Release mechanism for cross-stacked identical rectangular at articles of greater length than width and comprising, in combination: right angularly disposed pairs of opposed support plates; means slidably guiding said support plates between inward and outward limiting positions corresponding to positions of clearance respec- .4 tively with the width and length dimensions of said articles; linkageV means operatively relating said support plates and effecting outward motion of one pair of sup port plates corresponding to inward motion of the other pair of said plates; a longitudinally reciprocable actuating member having a path of motion at right angles to the motion of one of said support plates and adjcent thereto; means on said member urging said one support plate inwardly and alternately withdrawing the latter outwardly upon successive reciprocating actuation thereof; the said means on said actuating member comprising a rotor element having alternately arranged inwardly and outwardly acting cam arms; and means for rotating said rotor a predetermined increment upon moving said member in one direction.

2. Release mechanism for cross-stacked identical rectangular flat articles of greater length than width and comprising, in combination: right angularly disposed pairs of opposed support plates; meansslidably guiding.

said support plates between inward and outward limiting positions corresponding to positions of clearance respectively with the width and length dimensions of said articles; linkage means operatively relating said support plates and effecting outward motion of one pair of support plates corresponding to inward motion of the other pair of said plates; a longitudinally reciprocable actuating member having a path of motion at right angles to the motion of one of said support plates and adjacent thereto; means on said member urging said one support plate inwardly and alternately withdrawing the latter outwardly upon successive reciprocating actuation thereof; said means on said` actuating member comprising a rotor element having alternately arranged inwardly and outwardly acting cam arms; and means for rotating said rotor a predetermined increment upon moving said member. in one direction; and means on said one support plate engageable successively by one of said cam arms upon each motion of said member in the opposite direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 

